[Jube, Domne, benedicere.] Benediction 1. Lesson 1. Reader. Sir, pray for a blessing. Minister. The Father everlasting, bless us with a per petual blessing. Amen. Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to 1 Sam. xvii. 1-7. battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Thanks be to God. Response 1. Prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods from among you. And He will deliver you out of the hands of the Philistines. Benediction 2. Lesson 2. Reader.-Sir, pray for a blessing. Minister. The only-begotten Son of God, vouchsafe to bless and succour us. Amen. And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said 1 Sam. xvii. 8-11.unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Samuel and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Thanks be to God. Response 2. God is the avenger of all men. He hath sent His angel, and taken me from my Father's sheep; and hath anointed me with the oil of His mercy. The Lord hath delivered me out of the mouth of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear. And hath anointed me with the oil of His mercy. The Benediction. 3. Lesson 3. Reader.-Sir, pray for a blessing. Minister. The grace of the Holy Ghost illuminate our minds and hearts. Amen. Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem1 Sam. xvii. 12-16.judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went, and followed Saul to the battle and the names of his three sons that went to the battle, were Eliab the first-born; and next unto him, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. And David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul. But David went and returned from Saul, to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near, morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Thanks be to God. Response 3. The Lord, who delivered me out of the mouth of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He shall deliver me from the hands of mine enemies. God hath sent forth His mercy and truth; my soul is among lions. He shall deliver me from the hands of mine enemies. Glory be, &c. He shall deliver me from the hands of mine enemies. NOCTURN II. (g) Antiphon. Psalm 16. (13) (g) Antiphon. (h) Antiphon. Psalm 17. (14) My goods. Preserve me, O God: for in thee I have put my trust. All my delight is upon the saints, that are in the earth. and upon such as excel in virtue. But they that run after another god: shall have great trouble. Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer: neither make mention of their names within my lips. The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup thou shalt maintain my lot. The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground: yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will thank the Lord for giving me warning: my reins also chasten me in the night-season. I have set God always before me: for he is on my right hand, therefore I shall not fall. Wherefore my heart was glad, and my glory rejoiced: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For why? thou shalt not leave my soul in hell: neither shalt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. Thou shalt show me the path of life; in thy presence is the fulness of joy: and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore. Glory be, &c. My goods are nothing unto Thee; in Thee have I put my trust, preserve me, O God. Because of the words of Thy lips. Hear the right, O Lord, consider my complaint: and hearken unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence: and let thine eyes look upon the thing that is equal. Thou hast proved and visited mine heart in the night season; thou hast tried me, and shalt find no wickedness in me: for I am utterly purposed that my mouth shall not offend. Because of men's works that are done against the words of thy lips: I have kept me from the ways of the destroyer. O hold thou up my goings in thy paths: that my footsteps slip not. I have called upon thee, O God, for thou shalt hear me : incline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words. (h) Antiphon. (i) Antiphon. Psalm 18. (15) Show thy marvellous loving-kindness, thou that art the Saviour of them which put their trust in thee: from such as resist thy right hand. Keep me as the apple of an eye: hide me under the shadow of thy wings. From the ungodly that trouble me: mine enemies compass me round about to take away my soul. They are inclosed in their own fat: and their mouth speaketh proud things. They lie waiting in our way on every side: turning their eyes down to the ground; Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey and as it were a lion's whelp lurking in secret places. Up, Lord, disappoint him, and cast him down: deliver my soul from the ungodly, which is a sword of thine; From the men of thy hand, O Lord, from the men, I say, and from the evil world which have their portion in this life, whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid trea sure. : They have children at their desire: and leave the rest of their substance for their babes. But as for me, I will behold thy presence in righteousness and when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it. Glory be, &c. Because of the words of Thy lips, I have kept me from the ways of the destroyer. I will love Thee. .... O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my stony rock, and my defence: my Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust; my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge. I will call upon the Lord, which is worthy to be praised : so shall I be safe from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me and the overflowings of godliness made me afraid. The pains of hell came about me: the snares of death overtook me. In my trouble I will call upon the Lord: and complain unto my God. So shall he hear my voice out of his holy temple: and my complaint shall come before him, it shall enter even into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked the very foundations also of the hills shook, and were removed, because he was wroth. There went a smoke out in his presence and a consuming fire out of his mouth, so that coals were kindled at it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down and it was dark under his feet. He rode upon the cherubims, and did fly: he came flying upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place: his pavilion round about him with dark water, and thick clouds to cover him. At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed: hailstones, and coals of fire. The Lord also thundered out of heaven, and the Highest gave his thunder: hail-stones, and coals of fire. He sent out his arrows, and scattered them: he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them. The springs of waters were seen, and the foundations of the round world were discovered, at thy chiding, O Lord : at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure. He shall send down from on high to fetch me and shall take me out of many waters. He shall deliver me from my strongest enemy, and from them which hate me: for they are too mighty for me. They prevented me in the day of my trouble: but the Lord was my upholder. : He brought me forth also into a place of liberty he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me. The Lord shall reward me after my righteous dealing: according to the cleanness of my hands shall he recompense me. Because I have kept the ways of the Lord: and have not forsaken my God, as the wicked doeth. For I have an eye unto all his laws: and will not cast out his commandments from me. I was also uncorrupt before him and eschewed mine own wickedness. Therefore shall the Lord reward me after my righteous dealing and according unto the cleanness of my hands in his eye-sight. With the holy thou shalt be holy and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect. With the clean thou shalt be clean: and with the froward thou shalt learn frowardness. For thou shalt save the people that are in adversity: and shalt bring down the high looks of the proud. Thou also shalt light my candle: the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light. For in thee I shall discomfit an host of men: and with the help of my God I shall leap over the wall. |